


No Consequence

by nickofhearts



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Canon Compliant, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-26
Updated: 2016-12-26
Packaged: 2018-09-12 09:26:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9065803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nickofhearts/pseuds/nickofhearts
Summary: From the kink meme: Every time Ardyn shows up to help the guys out, he goes out of his way to hit on or seduce Noctis. Perhaps for some additional diabolical plan or maybe just because why not.





	

Noct doesn't think much of the weirdo passing out commemorative coins at first. There are strange people in the world, and Noct's met his fair share of them. Coming face to face with the crown prince seems to bring out the crazy in some people. But since the encounter, Noct's had this prickly feeling of being watched, turning around suddenly only to find nothing there. "It's paranoia," Ignis had told him when Noct asked if he'd noticed anything strange. "Dino's not going to expose us while we're risking life and limb to bring him crafting materials."

That's not what Noct's worried about, but he lets it go.

\- 

It's not until a few days later when Noct wanders outside their motel room for a breath of fresh air before calling it a night that there the guy is, standing in the parking lot staring right at Noct. 

"Are you following me?" Noct asks, curling his fingers in preparation of summoning a weapon.

The guy laughs. It's not a _bad_ laugh, but there's a mocking edge to it, like he's laughing at Noct, knowing something Noct doesn't. "I'm just an admirer, your majesty," he says, sweeping a half-bow but keeping his eyes on Noct the whole time. 

It's making Noct intensely uncomfortable, but he can't put his finger on why. He can't get a read on the guy at all, other than he's seriously weird in a low-key sinister way. Like the feeling of a make-believe monster in a children's story, lurking just out of sight under the bed. Noct's at a loss for what he should do in a situation like this—the guy isn't overtly threatening him, but he's clearly been following them, and Noct has no idea what he wants. Most likely, it's not going to be something as simple as collecting gems from daemon infested locales.

"Ah," the guy says, guessing at Noct's unease. He makes a grand gesture out of putting a finger to his lips. "Your secret is safe with me." He pauses, eyeing Noct up in a distinctly discomforting way. "But perhaps the prince could indulge me in something?"

Noct frowns, crossing his arms. "What."

The guy laughs again, taking a few steps forward with his hands out, palms up in a show of harmlessness, approaching Noct like he's some kind of wild animal. "Just to satisfy my curiosity," he says, and before Noct can react, he's got a mouth pressed to his, the barest brush of lips against his own before it's gone.

He blinks, completely flummoxed. Before he can decide whether to stab the guy or—whatever, he's alone in the parking lot. There's no trace of another presence save the lingering feeling of warmth on his lips.

"What the fuck," Noct mutters to himself.

-

With everything that happens over the next few days, Noct doesn't have the time or energy to dwell on the suspicious stranger until they run into him again in Lestallum. _Of course,_ Noct thinks. _Of course he'd be here spouting creepy nursery rhymes at me._ Noct glowers at him—at _Ardyn_ —as he's finally introduced himself, and only grudgingly agrees to his proposal since it isn't like they have any better prospects of resolving his steadily worsening headaches. He nods at Prompto and Gladio's assertions that they'll go for a drive and watch their backs, but it isn't his _back_ Noct will be watching.

-

"Allow me to do the honor of assigning your driver," Ardyn says. He drags the moment out before pointing at Noct. "I choose...you."

Annoyed, Noct growls. "What if I want to ride with you?"

Ardyn looks surprised, but the expression quickly smooths over into one of amusement. "You might find the cab fare to be more than you bargained for." The corner of his mouth quirks in what might have been a leer as he sweeps his eyes over Noct, but Noct isn't in the mood for games and implications.

He snorts and lets himself in the passenger side of Ardyn's car. "You let me worry about that."

-

Noct’s too tense to get any enjoyment out of the ride, though the weather’s perfect for it, and Ardyn is an unexpectedly sedate driver, treating his car with more care than even Ignis does the Regalia. "So, _Noct_ ," he begins as they pull out of the parking lot, and out of hearing of the others. "Are you really so eager for the pleasure of my company, or was there something particularly...lingering at the forefront of your thoughts?"

Noct makes a dismissive sound. "I thought _you_ 'd be jumping at the chance to 'satisfy your curiosity' some more."

"Perhaps it's already been satisfied," Ardyn murmurs, though Noct doesn't believe that for a second.

"If that were the truth, you wouldn't still be following us."

Ardyn smiling is disconcerting no matter what the situation, but he seems especially pleased with Noct for joining in the verbal interplay. "Very good Noct. I do have to admit a certain... _investment_...in your progress during these most difficult of times, but tell me, what is the true cause of your haste to reach Altissa?"

"To see Luna—" he starts, because Luna would know what to do, she always does. But thinking of Luna with Ardyn in the seat next to him seems dishonest, somehow, and Noct doesn't finish the thought.

"Ah," Ardyn says, when Noct doesn't continue. "The council of the Oracle." Ardyn's fingers flex and unflex on the steering wheel, as if he’s thinking it over. "Which of the rumours are true, I wonder? That the Prince and the Oracle are childhood sweethearts, cruelly torn apart by their places in warring nations, or that the engagement is merely another political machination, and the truth of their hearts lie elsewhere?"

"That's none of your business," Noct snaps, temper flaring. Luna is—Luna, and not something for Ardyn to make light of.

Ardyn only smiles again, like there’s a joke that Noct is missing. "But of course," he says. "Forgive my impertinence."

-

Noct storms angrily out of the car when they pull into the rest stop soon after, shaking his head at the concerned looks the guys give him. It’s probably good that they’re stopping for the night, because Noct can 't take much more of Ardyn right now. Another five minutes and blood might have been spilled. He isn't keen on bunking with Ardyn in the same caravan either, but at least it’s better than sharing a camp. 

-

Noct doesn't remember what he dreams of, but it's bad enough that he's up before dawn, stumbling outside to get away from the claustrophobic feeling of being in a small room with so many warm bodies. _If only Ignis could see me now_ , Noct thinks to himself, splashing water on his face. It's quiet outside, the only light a warm circle around the lamppost. 

He holds a hand out, contemplative, watching the ghost shape of the sword sketch itself into being before it drops solid into his hand. 

The swords of past kings, but with power comes a price, and he can feel it even now, slowly draining his life away. He wonders what putting on the ring will feel like, what his _father_ felt, sustaining the shields around Insomnia for so many years. 

The sound of the caravan door opening startles him out of his thoughts, and Noct brings the sword up automatically, holding it in place when he sees it's pointed at Ardyn's throat. 

To his credit, Ardyn doesn't even flinch. "Up so early, your majesty? How uncharacteristic of you."

"Bad dreams," Noct answers. "What's _your_ excuse?"

Ardyn's expression is serious for once, no hint of a smile or mocking laughter, no hat tucked at a jaunty angle, and Noct's surprised to find him almost... _attractive_. "In this, Noct, we are much alike."

Noct doesn't have a reply, but he dismisses his sword and takes a step back, conceding the point. Whatever Ardyn's motives are, he's helping them for the time being without having asked for anything in return, and that's more than can be said of the majority of their contacts.

"Perhaps..." Ardyn says now, closing the door softly behind him and making his way down the steps towards Noct. "I could provide the both of us a much needed distraction."

Noct's not sure why he lets it happen as Ardyn reaches out a hand to tilt his face up, why he himself leans in the rest of the way, grabbing at the thick folds of Ardyn's coat as he kisses back this time, opening his mouth for it and not even caring when Ardyn maneuvers him against the caravan and pins him in place, controlling the pace. It feels like a moment outside of time, free of judgment or obligation and the hopes and dreams of all the thousands of people counting on Noct to save them from the Empire. 

Ardyn shifts so he can get a hand in between them, working Noct's jeans open and biting him sharply on the lip when Noct bucks his hips, trying to hurry him up.

" _Patience_ , prince," he murmurs, though he's not shy about wrapping long fingers around Noct's cock, stroking just this side of too rough and biting him again when Noct moans loudly, forgetting where they are. It's been awhile since he's had a chance to do this—being on the road with three other guys—and never with anyone else, not when there were always so many people watching his every move.

It's just what he needs right now, though he wonders how the fuck _Ardyn_ knew that. "I'm close," he says instead, letting everything else wash over him for a little while longer.

"At your leisure, your majesty," Ardyn replies, only smirking when Noct works up enough energy to glare at him, and so it takes him off guard when he does come, gasping into Ardyn's mouth. For being such a weird guy, Ardyn is a surprisingly good kisser, and Noct's not too proud to let him take the lead.

It's not until a few minutes later that Noct thinks to ask. "Um, do you—" 

"Don't worry yourself over me," Ardyn tells him, that smile again, and any consideration Noct was feeling towards him evaporates in a second. 

-

By the time everyone else is up, Noct's washed and dressed again, all traces of ill-advised dalliances erased from his person. He's even gotten sandwiches and chips from the diner and laid them out on the table.

"You're up early," Ignis says, raising both eyebrows, "and you've procured breakfast."

Noct shrugs. "The sooner we can get rid of my headaches, the better."

"Of course," Ignis agrees. But he's still giving Noct a look like he wants to say more and isn't sure if he should. "Just...be careful," he settles on, patting Noct awkwardly on the shoulder before sitting at the table and choosing a sandwich.

Noct nods, carefully _not_ tonguing at the spot on his lip where Ardyn bit him. He didn't even break the skin, but it's as if he left an indelible mark, all the same.

-

The drive to the Archeon ends up being mostly uneventful in comparison. It's not until after, Noct still reeling from having to fight a _god_ , to the strange brand that had burned itself onto the skin of his shoulderblades after Titan had disappeared in a wash of golden light, that things take a turn for the truly bizarre. The Imperial airship pulls up just when they're wondering how they're getting out of this one, hanger door opening, and who else could it be?

"Imperial _Chancellor_ Izunia?" Ignis asks incredulously, while Noct's trying to place why the name sounds familiar.

He doesn't know whether to feel disgusted or betrayed or disbelieving that someone like Ardyn occupies the second most powerful seat in the Empire. "I _know_ ," he answers when Ignis points out they have no choice, yet again, than to do as Ardyn suggests. 

That doesn't stop Noct from glaring at him the whole way as they follow him onto the ship and into what seems to be a conference room.

When it looks like Ardyn's just going to leave them there until they get to wherever he's planning to dump them, Noct follows him to the door. "We need to talk," he says, crossing his arms. " _Privately_ ," he adds, when Ardyn stands waiting, as if Noct's going to discuss this in front of all the guys.

"I don't think that's—" Gladio starts, getting up to join them, but Ignis puts a hand on his arm.

"Ah," Ardyn says, the corner of his mouth lifting in a brief smile. "But of course." He gestures for Noct to precede him. "After you, highness."

-

Noct doesn't even give the room they're in this time a glance before he's summoning his broadsword and slamming Ardyn back against the door with it. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you here."

"The airship is full of soldiers who might be the slightest bit alarmed if you emerge from my quarters covered in blood." Ardyn chuckles when Noct only presses harder with the blade. "Ah, you want a more sentimental reason." He lifts a hand, tracing a path down the side of Noct's face as if that's something allowed him. "I _do_ admire you, Noct. That was no lie. I've always wondered how you'd flourish once you got out from your father's shadow, and you have exceeded all expectations." He smiles, not the usual fake thing, but disquieting all the same. "Can you truly blame me for wanting—" Ardyn shifts forward, as if uncaring of the sword at his throat "—a closer look?" 

Noct moves back before Ardyn can take any more liberties, but he doesn't dispel the sword. "Is that it then? You've satisfied your _curiosity_?" 

"Disappointed, Noct?" 

Noct narrows his eyes at him as Ardyn reaches up to pull his hat off, tossing it carelessly to one side of the room. The overcoat is next, then the vest, and Noct feels like things have gotten far out of his control when he's staring at Ardyn in nothing but a pair of indecently tight pants, his bare chest a patchwork of scars that tell a story Noct tries not to think too hard about. "Um," he says. 

"It occurs to me that your own curiosity is not insignificant." Ardyn indicates, taking a step forward for every one Noct takes back. "Or you would not have asked for a _private_ audience."

"That's not—" Noct gets out, backed up until he's hit something solid and he goes down with a thud on a soft surface.

Before he can get up again, Ardyn's hands are on his thighs, holding him in place. "I leave this to you, Noct. If you say stop, I won't go any further." And then he's undoing the zip of Noct's jeans and getting his mouth on Noct's cock, and this is not at all how Noct thought this would go down. 

" _Fuck_ ," he says, grabbing at the sheets.

Ardyn's better at this than Noct would have thought, careful with him, almost. He goes slowly enough that Noct isn't completely overwhelmed by the sensation of warm wet heat on his cock, waiting for Noct to let out a breath and relax under his hands before pulling back and then taking him into his mouth again, a long slow slide. So, Noct lets him when Ardyn tugs his jeans the rest of the way off, when he eases a slick finger _into_ him, when it's more than a finger.

It hurts, but it's nothing he can't handle, especially when Ardyn gets a hand on his cock again, and the dual sensation of warm skin and smooth leather is better than he could have imagined.

" _Harder_ ," Noct demands, when Ardyn seems content to drag it out forever, languorous thrusts in that leave Noct panting when he hits something inside him that sparks pleasure through his limbs like calling electricity to his fingertips.

"As your majesty commands," Ardyn agrees with a low laugh that sends shivers through his spine, and then he's fucking Noct in earnest, pushing his legs up over his shoulders so he can get a better angle, watching him so intently that Noct believes it just a little, all those times Ardyn said he'd _admired_ him. It's a heady thought, made more potent by the fact that Ardyn is the very last person he should be doing this with.

Ardyn bites him hard on the neck when he comes, and it's that bright hot flare of pain that gets Noct the rest of the way there more than anything else, a kind of rich warmth that suffuses every inch of him.

"This doesn't mean anything," Noct says after, still catching his breath.

"Au contraire," Ardyn tells him, nothing in his expression to give away anything but complete sincerity. "You mean the _world_ to me, Noct."

-

"Soooo..." Prompto says, when Noct turns back up significantly more rumpled than before. "What'd you guys talk about?"

"Ardyn's not the enemy." He holds a hand up when it looks like Gladio and Ignis are both about to air their two gil on the matter. " _For the moment_." Noct sighs heavily. "Let's just...get out of here."

-

(Aranea comes up to him when Noct is looking at something glimmering on the ground, wondering if it's worth the effort of digging it out of the muck, and says, without any kind of lead in whatsoever. "You know that guy's bad news, right?"

Noct raises an eyebrow at her. "Yeah...?"

"So why are you fucking him."

Noct breathes wrong, chokes on nothing, and ends up coughing for five minutes straight. He glances around to make sure Prompto and Ignis hadn't been in hearing range of _that_ revelation, then scowls at Aranea.

Who...looks completely unimpressed. "And keeping it secret from your friends."

"It's not like that," Noct mutters.

"Not like that as in he's blackmailing you, not like that as in it's true love, not like that as in you have no idea what the hell you're doing—"

" _Not like any of that_ ," Noct snaps, scowling even harder.)

-

Things had been going too well. He'd gotten the Regalia back, he'd gotten Ramuh's blessing, an intricate curving design that started in the center of his palm where he'd touched the last tree, wrapping around his wrist up to his elbow, and they're finally headed to Altissia to see Luna. Noct should have known it was too good to last.

He doesn't even get to meet with Luna before she's calling up Leviathan, and he's racing through the waves to match his strength against another god.

Noct gives it everything he's got, but it's not enough. 

He can't do anything but watch as Ardyn runs her through, can't help but feel that it's all his fault. 

The ring and Leviathan's mark curling up over his spine feels a hollow victory after; Noct would give it all back in exchange for Luna's life. 

-

When Ardyn shows his face again, Noct feels nothing but inconsolable rage. He wants to tear Ardyn limb from limb, hack him apart with a blunt edge until there's nothing left. 

It's not until he's watching Prompto fall off the train that he realizes he's made yet another mistake.

-

The cold outside is nothing compared to the coldness filling his heart, that everything he's been fighting for is falling to pieces in his hands. The more he tries to grab on to them, the more it crumbles apart. 

Gentiana's appearance makes him ache with pain for Luna, another promise she'd made for him, and he couldn't even give her anything in return.

The Glacian's mark is a bloom of ice tracing over his hip, winding down over his thigh.

He shatters Ardyn to pieces with a vicious slice of his sword, but of course, even that doesn't keep him away for long. 

" _I'm going to kill you_ ," Noct tells him, meaning it more than he's meant anything in his life.

Ardyn looks pleased at that, somehow. 

-

Noct doesn't know what the point of making him tear his way through every floor of Zegnautus Keep is, unless it's to enrage him into insensibility. He might not have his swords, but he calls forth the magic of the ring, all the power of the Lucian kings to see this through to the end.

-

The last surprise comes at the Crystal, that its use is no simple thing. Noct tries pull his arm from the light, but the more he struggles, the more it seems to drag him in.

It's only then that Ardyn deigns to reveal himself again, smiling at Noct with so much fondness that he clearly doesn't feel.

"Take all the time you need, Noct," Ardyn says. "I'll be waiting." He moves close enough to tip Noct's chin up with his fingertips, a perverse echo of the first time Ardyn had stolen a kiss from him, but Noct sees all the madness in his eyes now. "You cannot _imagine_ how long I've waited for you." 

Noct doesn't know how he never heard it before, the way Ardyn says his name possessive and all-consuming, like there's nothing else worth taking note of in the whole world.

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea what getting the "mark" of an Astral really means. Is it an actual mark? Is it a physical item?? I am just enamored of the idea of Noct getting a new tattoo every time he forms a covenant with a god...


End file.
